School's goals meet 10-year deadline

February 14, 2004
by Tigist Kassahun

During a 16-hour meeting which took place in mid-July of 1994, parents, board members and administrators set numerous long-term goals for JDS, which they now see as largely fulfilled.

The meeting, entitled the “Future Search Conference,” set various goals to be achieved over the following ten years. These goals related to enrollment, building expansion, tuition rates, curricula, Israel studies, diversity and class size.

Possibly the most visible change of the past ten years is the fruition of Operation Excellence, the campaign to build the Upper School campus, which was completed five years ago.

As a result, enrollment has increased from 1,050 to 1,506, an increase of nearly 150 percent.

“We have a beautiful Upper School campus and a beautiful, newly-renovated Lower School campus,” said Rhonda Brandes, a parent of two current JDS students, who was present at the 1994 conference.
Parent Belly May, who also was present at the meeting said that “in those days, it was unthinkable that we would be able to build what we have now,” but that Operation Excellence grew successfully to become a great source of pride for the JDS community.

Regarding expansion of the curriculum, “there is more diversity in the courses offered,” Brandes said. “I think that the curriculum is continuing to be revisited so it can be more meaningful to the students.”
The conference also addressed the school’s goal of keeping tuition reasonable for a community day school.

In 1994, the Lower School tuition was $6,935, while general Upper School tuition was $8,240. The current tuition costs of the 2003-2004 school year are $12,530 for the Lower School and $15,840 for general Upper School admission.

This increase of nearly 100 percent has caused some concern.
“I have the concern now that this school has priced out middle-class people,” said Carol Feder, coordinator of the “Future Search Conference” and a current Upper School parent.

“With that said, I also appreciate that we get a lot for our money and that it is still lower than the typical private school in the Greater Washington area,” she added.

The conference also had concluded that ties to Israel must be strengthened.

Brandes believes that the school “needs to continue integrating Israel into day-to-day life.”

May feels that the school’s ties to Israel have increased because of activities out of the classroom.

“The twelfth-grade trip really intensifies their connection to Israel,” she said.

Though ten years have elapsed since the meeting and many of the goals set have been attained, those who were present at the meeting believe that many of the issues presented still loom large at JDS.

As alumnus Eric Forseter (’93) said at the “Future Search Conference,” “JDS is currently on the rise. The ideas and concepts developed during the conference will have a pivotal effect on the future of JDS and Jewish Education in the Greater Washington area” (“Summer conference examines school…,” Sept. 1, 1994).